How To Organise Your Reception Desk Area
The front of house is one of the most important parts of any office space. Your receptionist and the reception area are the first things visitors see when they enter your office. The receptionist and their workspace should be well organised, with the reception desk furniture set out tidily, to convey the most professional image of your business. Here’s how your receptionist should organise their desks and workspace to achieve this impact:
Get the right layout
A good layout is essential to work efficiently. Receptionists should position their monitor at eye level and approximately 17 inches away from their body. They should also tilt it down slightly so that the glare of the screen isn’t travelling directly into their line of vision. As for any other items of desk furniture or any supplies, they’ll frequently use, they should place these on the dominant side of their body so they don’t have to reach across for them continuously.
Organise inboxes
Receptionists have to keep on top of a lot of emails. At the same time, however, they’re under pressure to complete other tasks and, like any other employee, be productive. One of the best ways for them to do this is simply to allocate specific times of day to addressing emails and get on with their other tasks in between.
Leave a little space for signing documents
It’s never nice to work in clutter. Your receptionist should try to leave at least an A4-sized space on their desk. This should be on their dominant side so that documents can be signed comfortably.
Don’t overload the reception desk with clutter
There’s nothing wrong with a few little keepsakes, such as family photographs, to brighten up your desk, but don’t go overboard. Keep the number of items to three or under. Any more than this and they could become a distraction or overwhelming.
Don’t abuse Post Its
It’s okay for a receptionist to use Post Its as reminders, but these should not overtake the monitor or other areas of the desk. Ideally, the receptionist should try to use the Outlook calendar to full effect instead. As soon as they’ve completed any tasks they’ve left in a Post It reminder, they should scrunch up the Post It and put it in a wastepaper bin or in a recycling bin.
The reception area is an important and every few months you should review the area, including the furniture, and check the area looks tidy and professional. Guests should feel at ease and see an organised receptionist, who is sitting behind a well-presented desk, and a comfortable-looking reception area.
